Romney wants to cut funding for PBS and Sesame Street

If this has been discussed before, let me know. I just read a headline on Yahoo! where Mitt Romney says "I love Big Bird", but at the same time, he wants to end funding for shows like this! Aren't shows like this paid for in part by people like us? Doesn't he realize that WE are the ones that fund broadcasting for shows like SS? I'm glad I don't vote. Neither Obama, nor Romney would get my vote. I think if this happens, the television media as I see it will be destroyed!

(I didn't want to post the link to what I had found, and I won't unless I get approval!)

I don't know why Republicans choose to beat up on Sesame Street so much, but it's a popular target. I think it exposes the rotten core of any individual who would speak ill of such a wonderful program that has done so much for so many children around the world. The fact is that 93% of Sesame Street's funding comes from sales, licensing and corporate sponsorships. The other 7% comes from pledge drives, local affiliates and also federal funds. ​

​

The rest of PBS is another story, but the money the network receives from the federal government is so low that it has no impact on the American economy one way or the other. It's clear to me that the main reason why Republicans criticize PBS funding is because they don't want any of their pork-barrel spending targeted for cuts. Privatization is not the answer to everything. It would be wrong to surrender this last sanctuary of the public airwaves to corporate interests.​

​

Even though only a small portion of Sesame is funded by tax dollars, the elimination of PBS funding would result in children learning the latest product fads along with their letters and numbers. Sesame Street is supposed to be the last safe space. Let's keep it that way. Regardless of political leanings, no Muppet fan should support those who would dismantle the foundation of Sesame Street. If you support such a candidate, then please let them know that you disagree with that position! /soapbox​

I'm glad that someone understands me. I don't want this wonderful TV show to go down in vain. If I had it my way, and if I won our local lottery, I'd give exactly half of the lump sum to our local PBS station to continue with Sesame street. I literally would!

I'm glad that someone understands me. I don't want this wonderful TV show to go down in vain. If I had it my way, and if I won our local lottery, I'd give exactly half of the lump sum to our local PBS station to continue with Sesame street. I literally would!

Click to expand...

I agree that would be terrible. What I was trying to say is that Romney reiterated a falsehood that Sesame Street is dependent on federal dollars. He characterized Big Bird as some sort of welfare bird living on government handouts! That is not the case. Sesame will always find a home on television. However, Sesame does need PBS in order to safeguard the content from commercial interests. Jim Henson was very protective of the Sesame cast. It was his belief that the characters didn't belong to anyone except for the world's children. That's why he wouldn't sell them to Disney.

I suggest people read Caroll Spinney's "The Wisdom of Big Bird" that chronicles his early years as the bird and how tough it was to make it. Romney can say what he will, but he never faced such times. He single-out a performer with an amazing legacy and represents the very personification of the American dream. It makes me very mad.

I may not like Obama's policies at all, but Mitt Romney takes the cake. If anyone saw his portion of tonight's "debate", he essentially said he'd kill off PBS despite "liking Big Bird". Good grief.

About 30 minutes into the verbal contest between President Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney, the former governor explained that he would cut what he considers non-essential items in the budget, including cuts to PBS, which employs debate moderator Jim Lehrer.

"I'm sorry Jim. I'm gonna stop the subsidy to PBS. I'm gonna stop other things," Romney said. "I like PBS, I like Big Bird, I actually like you too."

I don't know why Republicans choose to beat up on Sesame Street so much, but it's a popular target. I think it exposes the rotten core of any individual who would speak ill of such a wonderful program that has done so much for so many children around the world. The fact is that 93% of Sesame Street's funding comes from sales, licensing and corporate sponsorships. The other 7% comes from pledge drives, local affiliates and also federal funds.

​

The rest of PBS is another story, but the money the network receives from the federal government is so low that it has no impact on the American economy one way or the other. It's clear to me that the main reason why Republicans criticize PBS funding is because they don't want any of their pork-barrel spending targeted for cuts. Privatization is not the answer to everything. It would be wrong to surrender this last sanctuary of the public airwaves to corporate interests.​

Click to expand...

​

There are those on the far right that have a vendetta with kid's programming in general. Sesame Street especially. The whole "you're kids are going to be TOLERANT!" bit, because tolerant turns your kids into Dr. Frankenfurter or some sort of straw gay man. Much as I hate Mitt, he's not one of those, but there is that far fringe that the typical Republican thinks are nut jobs. They don't question it, though... who cares how they get votes for their side? Super far left people vote for pie in the sky third parties.​

​

The Reps LOVE to nickel and dime PBS, among other institutions that get such a small fraction of tax money (a small, but appreciated amount). I absolutely love how they're ready to debunk how raising taxes and getting rid of welfare on the corporations that had the free-est of free rides for the past 12 years isn't going to fund the government, but roughly a hay penny per person in the country is going to balance a budget that they got us into by fighting 2 unfunded wars. No matter what your stance is, these companies don't exactly donate weapons to both sides.​

​

The fact that Romney won the debate last night (due to high fuels of his own personal smug satisfaction and arrogance, and Obama's characteristic Charlie Brown wussiness) is frightening. We have a politician that speaks entirely in Freudian Slips... all his stories are about someone getting fired, he smiles at working America's face while saying their the moocher class behind their backs. And to pull it out of his butt on the debate during his 15th reboot after the convention... that's unnerving. Especially since his plan is he has no plan but to basically let the economy right itself. I almost swear that bumbling Montana Max Romney was all an act to lure liberals into a false sense of security. He was a TERRIBLE governor... and that's when he was there during half his term. He spent the rest of the time running for 2008, basically going to other states and badmouthing the same state that was suckered into voting for him in the first place behind our backs. And he randomly cut the budget as his last act, leaving us in debt. Yeah... that's the guy you want as a leader. If I were Republican, I'd write in Ron Paul. At least he's sincere about what he speaks of.​

​

Lastly, SS can hold its own. But the myth that it can flourish on commercial TV is almost laughable if they weren't serious. Sesame Street would be pressured down to a half hour (less than 20 minute), it would be all Elmo, and it would be CGI'd in India and voiced by a sound-a-like in Canada. And interrupted by commercials. And not even kid's junk food and toy commercials, which is bad itself, no question... but they'd be commercials for Gerber Life Insurance (it's been proven by someone that it's throwing money away), funeral home insurance, Consumer Cellular, worthless "gold" coins and stuff for the grandparents watching to blow their social security checks on. I watch qubo, I know the deal. Oh, and Sesame Street would be canceled for an even more inferior knockoff within a year. That's how broadcast TV works. ​

Sesame Street has been a proud partner of PBS for 43 years, and is dependent on PBS to distribute our commercial-free educational program to all children in the US. Sesame Workshop is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, educational organization. We do not comment on campaigns, but we’re happy we can all agree that everyone likes Big Bird.

I'm in the middle on this issue. I do support Romney and his plans but after reading Jamie's post see the reasoning of why it should be opposed. At first I saw the photo with that particular statistic and thought that if the federal funding is dropped, it won't make much of a difference in the show. But after further reading, I find out that it will affect the show in that it will add more of a commercialization for the show. Therefore, in that case, I don't believe in the full de-funding of Sesame Street and PBS. That being said, if there was a way to cut back on that spending and of course, spending across the board to reign in the deficit; that I would support. Therefore, I may disagree with Romney's stance but that does not mean I will stop supporting many of his other stances and plans.

Yeah, but he just randomly chose to stop Sesame? There must be some stupid reason behind it at least...

I thought Romney would be better for everything, especially with what's going on with Iran, I'm starting to see that Romney is kinda dumb. I really don't get him.

Click to expand...

Hey, Muppet fan 123, I suggest you do some research on your won and figure that out for yourself. Not saying there isn't a good discussion here but you can't just accept anything people say to you. Do your research; formulate your own opinion.

Hey, Muppet fan 123, I suggest you do some research on your won and figure that out for yourself. Not saying there isn't a good discussion here but you can't just accept anything people say to you. Do your research; formulate your own opinion.

Click to expand...

I'm not just suggesting what people are saying to me.
I wasn't really all too excited for Romney in the first place, I was kinda supporting him, but recently, I was starting to have second thoughts, not just becuase of Sesame, but becuase of other things too. The biggest thing: The whole nuclear story in Iran.
I don't know if he'd be better for America. We've seen Obama wasn't that bad, so I'm kinda confused.
Is Romney really going to help? I think he's just big talking. And he's doing a lot of it. So maybe we won't end up shutting PBS. But I don't get why he would mention that in a presidental debate if he probably won't end up doing. Usually they say things like how they'll help the economy, and help people get jobs..yadda yadda yadda

Basically, Romney wants to let voters know that he's making cuts to programs he deems unnecessary, however he isn't comfortable telling us which ones. He keeps pulling out PBS and the NEA because they're popular punching bags with the Republican party. They've been continually drained over the years while so much other pork-barrel spending has gone unchecked. Someone said somewhere else that cutting PBS funding to balance the budget is like deleting a text message to clear a 500 gigabyte hard drive. That's the correct analogy.

I know it's unpopular to say, but cuts should come from the military budget. This does not mean cuts to the troops. In fact, they hardly ever see any of this additional tax money and many of them had to pay for their own flack jackets under the previous administration. America has poured an unprecedented amount of money into the military since 9-11 and charged it on this corporate credit card that Romney speaks of. This money not really making us safer. It's making certain companies richer and it's putting us in greater debt.